Urban Legends Over Winter Break
by Archmini-Chimera-HS2-PJ9
Summary: Cody and Noah decide to hang out for winter break, but as they walk to a restaurant, they see a Teen's Magazine on the front window of a store for display. One of the featured articles on the cover is "Urban Legends." They decide to buy the magazine- little did they know that the games would ruin them mentally as well as physically.
1. Urban Legends

Here ya go! My new story! I hope you guys enjoy it!

* * *

Noah and I decided to hang out today, since we were on break from school. Winter break, to be specific. Noah's parents were always out, so I constantly felt the need to be with Noah, thinking that maybe he was feeling lonely. That probably wasn't true, I knew that much, but I liked to think that he was feeling lonely so that I'd have something to do everyday. Today we were going to a restaurant to eat together. Usually I'd pay for everything when we went somewhere to eat, since Noah always used his money for books. I didn't mind paying, of course. I'll let Noah do whatever he wants to do, so that I don't seem a little over attached. He insisted that he pay this time, however, and I tried to find my way around it, but he made up his mind and didn't seem to want to change it, so I gave up.

We went on our way to the restaurant, walking by the flower shop... and our favorite game store... and the famous pet store... and... hm? What's this? Noah noticed that I had been staring at a Teen's Magazine and rolled his eyes. "You're kidding, right? A Teen's Magazine?"

"Yeah, but look, Noah. An 'Urban Legends' article..." Lately we had been getting into urban legends, even if some were not true. They made an interesting read, after all. "Maybe we should get it..." Noah shrugged and went in, dragging me along. We bought the magazine and went on our way to the restaurant. We ordered what we wanted and opened the magazine as we waited for our food to come over. I flipped and skimmed through a few articles, but quickly flipped to the Urban Legends article afterward. Noah and I read the first part. It had different games that passed down as legends, some being "Midnight Man," "Lonely Hide and Seek," and "The Three Kings." We read over the rules quietly, but stopped as the waiter came back. We ate, paid, and went back to Noah's home.

I followed him to his room and we both laid down to read the magazine: "Midnight Man, You'll need paper, pencils, needles, candles, a box of matches, a door and salt(lots of it)." Noah and I scanned the rules carefully. I stared over at him, but he seemingly already knew what I was about to ask.

"No," was all I got from him.

"Aw, please, Noah? It seems interesting!"

"So?"

"It's _interesting_!"

"And what if the legend appears to be true, and we die _because of you_?"

"Well, we'll have to see, won't we? Or are you scared?~" I could tell I provoked him a bit, watching him cringe in anger and twitch his eye. "I'm not _afraid_, imbecile! I'm telling you what's _best! _And what's _best_ is to stay _away_ from such games!" I gave him my puppy eyes, knowing that he fell for them every single time I've done it. He looked away quickly and responded with mumbles. "Hmm? Speak up, Noah!~"

"I said fine!" He growled. I cheered and went to his phone and prepared to call up a few people. Noah stared and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Calling people up!"

"Why?" You could tell he demanded an answer with the tone of his voice. "Because- You can have more than two people!~ Relax, I'm only calling Mike and Zoey!~" I hushed him as Mike picked up his phone...

"Hello?"

"Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna play a game? Noah's house!"

"Uhh... What game...?"


	2. Midnight Man

I hope you enjoy the story! I can't believe it took me this long to finish Midnight Man. Thanks for the reviews, guys, I'll definitely continue the story... and edit... If you are not aware of what any urban legends are, just look it up. Research is good.

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"I'll tell you when you get here!"

Mike groaned, "I don't know Noah's address," he stated. I informed Mike the address and told him to bring Zoey along. She was with Dawn at the moment, so they both came along. Noah rolled his eyes once again and decided to get the items we needed, from what I saw. By the time they came, Noah had gathered all the supplies and we were sitting near the front door. I read the rules to the three and we waited until 11:30 P.M. Noah handed out the salt to each of us. Mike and Zoey hadn't said a thing, but Dawn spoke up, "I don't think this is a very safe game to play."

Noah looked up and did his famous eye-rolling. He continued to hand out the supplies to each of us: paper, pencil, needle, candle, and matches. It was 11:35 P.M. by then. I quickly turned off the lights, as the other four began to light their candles. I went back and lit my candle, and we each wrote our name on the paper, first, middle, last. "Cody. Emmett. Jameson. Anderson." I whispered to myself, and soon pricked my finger to let my blood flow and soak on the paper. I saw the rest do the same.

We each put the paper in front of the door and touched a part of the door. Since the others weren't really up to playing, I had to do the knocking. Noah kept track of time as I knocked slowly. Pretty soon it was 12 A.M. as I did the 22nd knock. I opened the door, we blew our candles and immediately we lit them up again. I shut the door and we all ran to a different part of the house as fast as we could and soon we would just wander the house.

I was frightened, yet there was a terrifying excitement waking up inside me. We had to travel and survive until 3:33 A.M. I wandered aimlessly, leaving as soon as I saw one of the others. My candle blew when it was 12:15 A.M. and the excitement came back up. I heard soft whispers around me, giving me chills, but I couldn't make out a single word. I lit my candle successfully while running away.

Finding my way to a safer area, I continued to wander about the house, passing Mike, Zoey, and Dawn a couple of times, but never once Noah. It made me curious, so I sneaked around the house trying to find him. I heard Zoey and Mike screech a little every now and then, and I had to guess it was probably because they had trouble lighting the candle again. My candle blew as I passed the bathroom. It shocked me, so I dropped my match box. Picking it up quickly, I swear I could feel a hand touching me, and I was terrified. I quickly caused the reaction with the match and lit my candle, panicking. I blew the match and calmed myself as I regained my thoughts of finding Noah.

…

As I dropped my matches, I found that it was no use to find my matches and grabbed the salt out. Quickly and efficiently I made the circle around me, making sure that there were no holes, I spread it as evenly as I could. I realized, I lost the game. _I must silently continue to pray that Zoey, Mike, Cody, and Noah wouldn't end up having to make the circles as well._ I didn't think it was actually real... It all seems like fun and games from children, but actually experiencing it, why would they put this on a Teen's Magazine? For sell? Urban legends do seem to be getting popular, lately. It wasn't a very fun thing to be near death. _In fact, I could have been caught if I hadn't made my circle in time. Oh, please let the rest be safe._

…

_This game was horrible! How could I let Mike drag me into this? I'm terrified! If only I could just cuddle with him... Oh no! Dawn's in a circle... I am definitely going to win this game, and I better get some kind of prize for playing such a ridiculous, creepy game! Oh my gosh! This is the fifth time my candle blew out! Where are my matches...? Ah! There it is! _I grabbed the match box and flicked it quickly, lighting my candle faster than when it was blown. I aborted the area immediately.

…

Regret was all I had when I was handed that needle before the game started. _Why didn't I wimp out with Zoey? I just had to make sure I didn't have a hat nearby, my shirt not taken off, and Mal didn't control... and of course, Svetlana and Chester would be a little bit difficult to control... Focus on the candle and the area... And I'll be fine... Oh, and make sure the matches are here, all set. This is so creepy! Why did I come, why did I come? Gruh! My candle! Matches, matches... Yes! Okay! No! Noo, not now! Light up!_ The match fell to the floor, and I knew I didn't have time. The whispers seemed so loud, yet I couldn't hear anything at the same time... I grabbed the salt and made a circle as quickly as I could.

…

As soon as the game began, it seems my candle blew out first. Angered, I lit it back and ran the opposite direction. I walked past the bathroom and my "parents" room, though they were never home. I guess that's why Cody chose my home. Cody's "room" when he stayed over all the time was downstairs, but he always brought all the sheets to my room and slept on the floor. _Whatever._ Mike and Zoey were up here with me, and Cody and Dawn downstairs. I bumped into them a couple of times, but it was wise to be separate, as they said. A couple minutes later, Dawn came up and Mike and Zoey went down. I panicked when I saw that a door was open, so I closed it as fast I could, as we were instructed to do in the magazine.

Making my way downstairs, my candle blows once again. I hadn't expected it, so I almost tripped down the stairs as I tried searching for a match. I ran back up the stairs, and, well, what do you know, my bag of salt fell down the stairs. _I'm screwed._ I found a match and brightened the candle without thinking. I need that salt, but I need to stay away from the stairs for now. I opened my door and walked in quietly, waiting a bit before leaving again.

…

I looked upon the darkness and heard someone tripping on the stairs. _I wonder who it is? _Every now and then a shadow was seen, but my matches were somewhere else, and I couldn't light my candle. I always wondered what the shadow was, but the figure was not recognizable. I hope whoever was on the stairs is safe. I saw a figure run to one of the rooms. That aura was Noah, I believe. After a few minutes I see him leave the room and go downstairs, Cody coming up in exchange. _I think I heard some doors open after Noah left...But no one was here before Cody..._

…

Wondering who stumbled upon the stairs, I found myself staring up into the darkness upstairs. I saw the smallest glimpse of someone running before my candle blew out. I wandered the other direction as I got the matches out and had the candle burning once again. I guess I'll have to go upstairs later. Strange, I could only see a figure in my peripheral vision. I pass the bedroom that I was staying in and see Mike on the floor with salt around him. Waving slowly, I nodded and made my way to the other side of the house. Zoey was in this area, so I had to be careful. It'd be difficult to run away if there were two together.

In the living room, I took a quick glance towards the clock. It was 1:30 A.M. Two more hours! This game is a dread! What was I thinking...? _I've only seen Mike down, so far._ Suddenly, the T.V. turns on, startling me. I turn it off and sprint away, trying to calm my quick heart beats. That was the scariest thing all night, considering that it was dead silent besides the quiet scares around. I heard Zoey holding in a girly screech as she tries to light her candle back up.

…

Sitting here alone and seeing random shadows wander about is not such a nice experience. I should have never come!

"Dognabbit! Children and their darn-"

"Chester! Hush down...!"

"Fine...!" Chester was such a hassle in such a situation. I just hope Vito doesn't come up somehow and then decides to leave the circle. Oh... That would be terrible.

…

Before I left the room, I looked over at the clock. 1:35 A.M. _This is taking too long!_ Remembering the salt, I left the room and closed the door. I ran downstairs looking for the salt. _It shouldn't have gone too far. _Salt was definitely not like a ball, but it was in a bag... I leaned down to look under the couch, but, life's determination to bring me down, my candle went out. I tried to get up but hit my head on the table, causing me to lean back down to pat the pain down. _Oh god, I don't have salt, and the time's delayed due to my idiocy! _I turned around to see someone right in front of me. _Oh... GOD..._

…

For once, I passed Noah, but it was going up the stairs. He looked rushed, but I couldn't stay any longer. I traveled to his room first. Strange, his door was open. Knowing that I shouldn't go through open doors, I closed it and walked to his parents room instead. _Gosh, all the doors up here are open. _I looked at Dawn. _So she's out, too. That makes it Mike and Dawn down. Noah, Zoey and I are still in._ I nod at her and go towards the bathroom, the only door that wasn't open. I pause at the door, wondering if I should go in one of the creepiest areas in any place in the world: the bathrooms.

…

Shivers ran through my back as I heard a scream so close-by. Was I supposed to go help...? My candle would go out, then, wouldn't it? And was that Noah's...? I wanted to help, but this is a game of who could survive the longest. I wouldn't be able to help him even if I went to see what's wrong. _I need to help, though...! _I summoned the guts to go towards the scream, but I saw absolutely nothing. _What? Where is he? Is my mind playing tricks on me...?! _Just then my candle blew out on me, and I had to run away and start relighting it.

…

Luckily, there shouldn't be a way for Vito, Svetlana, and Manitoba to make it out. _That's a good thing._ It was just Mal and Chester to worry about... _Huh?! Who was that? Who screamed?_ I looked around, but no one was in my area. I couldn't see past the kitchen... _I picked a bad spot to be in... _I looked over to the oven clock to see the time: 2:04. _One more hour..._

…

All around me are terrible, dark auras... And that scream was not good... Someone's in trouble and all I can do is sit here, otherwise I could get into deep trouble. Cody went into the bathroom- did he even hear that scream? I sit and ponder of the worst case scenarios. No, I'm sure Noah's fine. Cody has to get out and at least check, right? _Oh no, I can sense deep fear in Noah right now... Where could he be?_

…

…

As soon as Noah stared up at the mysterious thing, it dragged him to the guest room. "Let go! Let go you stupid weird thing!" Noah exclaimed. He stopped and stared at what was on the bed and became horrified. "N-No... What's going on?" He never thought he really cared, but seeing Cody slaughtered on the bed filled him with anger and fear. "You're kidding me, right?" The scenery changed and Cody was back alive. Noah heard whispers all around him, all of them he understood, but at the same time, he couldn't comprehend a single thing. The "Cody" moved towards him, "Heh, you stupid, weak fool."

"C-Cody...?" Of course he knew it wasn't Cody, but the image of him was enough. _My worst nightmares... Midnight Man is attacking me..._ "You don't care about me after all I've done! I can't stand people like you!" Noah cringed inside. That wasn't true, but he couldn't let this guy attack him. "All you care about is yourself." He started to shrink away, not knowing what to say. _Candle... Where's my candle...? _ "I loved you, Noah." _What? _"I bet you didn't know that..." He started to go into a low whisper, "but..." _I don't want to hear it, please don't say it, Cody. _"But... You keep ignoring me... and rolling your eyes... and reading your books..."

Noah whispered almost inaudibly, afraid of what he was going to hear, "Co..dy... sto..p..." "Cody" looked straight into his eyes, "I hate you." To think those words in Cody's voice alone would be Noah's biggest fear. _He...lp..me... _Tears ran down his face. "L-Leave me alone!" He found his candle and lit it as fast as lightning and rushed out as quickly as he could.

…

"Where's Noah...!?" No matter where I looked, it seemed I couldn't find Noah anywhere. It had been forty minutes from when I heard Noah, and I've looked almost everywhere... Except the rooms. Of course!

…

I found myself looking over to the clock every minute. 2:44 A.M. _I swear. Time is sooo slow when you keep looking at it... _I looked around, bored, but saw Noah running past shortly after. That surprised me, really, I had expected to see no one for quite a while. I calmed myself and looked at the time. _Come on... You guys can do this... A while longer..._

…

I almost ran to my room by nature, but I stopped and saw my bag of salt. I grabbed it and ran up to my room, shutting it and locking it, making a circle around me with the salt. I tried my best to forget that voice, knowing it wasn't Cody. I wanted the voices to go away, but it seemed to follow me. It was driving me insane. I didn't know how much I loved Cody, but it must be that I'm crazy for him if I'm so bothered about this, right? I hate this! Why did I have to feel this way?! He would never feel the same... Because he loves Gwen... The whispers were everywhere. _They're_ everywhere_, Cody... Help me..._

"I hate you..." _Stop saying that..._

"I know you hate me, too." _That's not true..._

"I _hate _you," it hissed. _Get out..._

…

I swear Noah ran right past me, but he blew my candle! Oh boy... Where'd he go, though? I know he went up the stairs... And... _Huh? _"W-Woooaahahhh!" I fell down the steps and my candle went out. Luckily, my pockets helped the salt stay in place, so I grabbed the salt and drew a circle around me. _Well, darn. I thought I'd win..._

…

Walking around, I've seen Mike, Dawn, and Cody down. Where was Noah? He's probably out, too, making me the last standing one! I won, right? I think I'll go check the time in the kitchen... I nod to Mike as a gesture of hello and look at the time. 3:15 A.M. Boy, was I tired, but I was determined to win this game. I walked around for the remainder of the game, and I even took their matches, just in case I ran out. Eventually, it was 3:33 A.M. and I had won the game. I cheered happily and ran to Mike, hugging him.

…

"Congratulations, Zoey! You won the game. I promise, I'll treat you guys, somehow. I'll take you anywhere, I swear. I forced you guys into it, after all. And where is Noah?" Dawn came downstairs with a certain shaking Noah. She had gotten him out of his room by telling him it was over, I guessed. I went over to him, but he skipped backwards in fear.

"...Noah...?"


	3. Aftermath

"Noah... What's wrong?" He stared at me for a good two minutes before calming down. I attempted to walk to him again, however seeing that he hesitated, I backed off and let him be. I stared over to Zoey, Mike, and Dawn and told them that I'd treat them tomorrow. When they left, I closed the door and let my eyes wander over to Noah's general direction, but I couldn't let my eyes meet his and I could tell he couldn't do the same.

"So... I guess I should go home...?" I waited for a response that I would not recieve. Nervous, I turned around and turned the handle, but Noah grabbed my sweater and tugged, urging me to stay. I locked the front door and turned silently. He took my arm and dragged me upstairs to his room, all the while turning off the lights we passed. When we got to his room, he jumped on his bed and covered himself in blankets. I shrugged, closed the door, and began to pick up the sheets I usually used to sleep in his room, later spotting the salt circle he made for the game. So he hid in his room... But why was he so afraid? I put the sheets on the other side of the room, since Noah usually wanted me as far from him as possible. Then he spoke.

"Cody."

"Huh?"

"Will you... Will you sleep with me...?" I froze, dwelling upon my mind, wondering if I had heard the other boy right or not. I remained quiet until he spoke again, "Sleep... On the bed with me...?" My face grew red and I felt awkward, so I asked him, "Uh... Why, Noah...?"

"Just... Please?" I hesitated walking to Noah's bed, but soon crawled on top of it. I tried to scoot a little further from him until he turned around and stared right into my eyes. He seemed to want to say something, but he refrained from talking. He looked down and back up, afraid to talk. I was nervous and tried looking away, but I couldn't avert my eyes. Noah got closer and hugged me tightly.

"Co...Cody... I want you to tell me the truth..."

"What truth?"

"What do you think about me? How do you feel about me?"

"What..? How... I feel.. Uhmm... You're... Fun to be around... and I... think you're cool...! And... kind of hopeless, but that's what I like about you! And when you read your books, or roll your eyes, or spat your dry sarcasm...?" Noah hugged me tighter, afraid to hear what it was I was going to tell him. "It's what I... What I love the most about you..." I hugged him back, feeling his entire body loosen up from the suspense, and I heard a soft sob. As I felt his tears soak my shirt, I smiled silently. All the awkward feelings had disappeared somehow. He curled up against me and fell asleep.


	4. The Three Kings

I am actually writing these two chapters, chapters 4 and 5, at the same time. Heh heh. Hey, I'm doing research as I write, so nyeh! This is Noah's PoV and the game he is playing. I actually had trouble deciding which one of these two chapters should go first, so... Enjoy!

Shout-outs to my reviewers, followers, and favorite-rs! Thank you guys so much, **mugheessaeed2002**, **chaosmoonstar**, **You Won't Even Know I'm Here**, **ScentlessFlower20**, **Sakura Kudo**, **PokemonXYFan104**, and **Bere**!

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It was late afternoon, Cody had to go home as instructed by his mother. I sat in the living room with my book, though nothing felt the same. The usual loud and obnoxious dunce had finally left, though I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the guy- a lovable candy-loving, game-playing geek. I had grabbed the magazine out and saw a different game I thought I'd try out, since I was already alone... A cell-phone for an alarm or a plain alarm clock, a candle, an electric fan, two large mirrors, three chairs, a dark room, and a lighter was needed for the game. Somehow I managed to find decent mirrors-everything else, not much difficult to find.

Now, it was setting up the game. I went into the guest room, which had no windows, I've realized. I set the chairs in the middle of the room, two facing each other, though a little tilted so it faces the third chair, which would be known as the throne chair. The throne was placed so that it was facing the empty space between the other two chairs. I made sure there was about equal distance, and enough space for me to get between and sit on the throne. I plugged in the fan behind the throne and turned it on, then placed the mirrors on the chairs facing each other. I sat on the throne to make sure my reflection was in my peripheral vision. This room is now known as the Dark Room.

I turned the lights off and went off to my bedroom, leaving the door to the "Dark Room" open as the rules said. I set my candle and lighter next to me on the table near my bed, and set the alarm on my phone for 3:30 A.M. Sleep came over me quickly and I drifted into my dreams. The dreams didn't take very long to end as the alarm rang at the time it was assigned. I quickly grabbed the candle and lit it with the lighter as I walked out of my room, and I put my phone and lighter in my pocket. I went to the guest room, glad to see it still open, and walked in. I listened for the quiet hum of the fan, making sure it was still on. I made my way carefully to the throne and sat down exactly at 3:33, making sure the candle was not blown out by the fan and I gave a small sigh of relief. Everything was going well so far.

Sitting still, I had to stare into the darkness in front of me and never look at the mirrors or the candle. The candle musn't go out, and I could abort the game by running and waiting outside of the house until 4:44 or blowing the candle at 4:44. The atmosphere changed into a tense fear and it felt chilly. A temptation overwhelmed me as I saw things move in my peripheral vision. I felt a need to look over, but I didn't. I started to hear whispers coming from the sides of me where the mirrors were, making me shiver in fear. It seemed to have my voice, though it seemed distorted all the while. I heard the shadow to my right have a voice exactly like mine, and to my left the more distorted one.

The one to my left complained about something, "They are all lying!" I felt compelled to ask what the thing was talking about, and a-a conversation started.

"Who is lying?" I gulped as I asked. The one on my right answered, "Don't you know? Those voices are liars. They kept saying..."

"Kept saying...?" And the one to my left spoke again, "Terrible lies! Shut up already! It's not true!"

"What's not true?" I asked, annoyed, but I remained still, remembering where I was and what I was doing.

"The lies! The filthy whispers... Don't you know the truth?" And the Right interrupted, "They tell us the lies, you tell us the truth."

"I can't tell the truth." I said plainly, though it seemed to anger them a bit. For time's sake, I will call them Left and Right. Left hissed at me, "Why, your love for Cody is real, is it not!?" Right comes in, "The whispers continue to lie, I must say. They can't tell us the truth, and you can't either?" I stare at the dark with the urge to look, but I am aware I can't, or I lose the game. I don't answer him, and he continues to talk, abruptly changing the subject while laughing, "Oh, it seems he will get hurt if he does that." I shake a little as he says this and inquire, "Wh-Who will get hurt?" Left growls angrily, grabbing my legs, it seems, and I'm dragged off my seat. In shock, I shove and push away, running outside with gaining haste. The last thing I heard from Right as I run is, "Why, Cody, of course!"

Panicked, my feet naturally made it's way to Cody's house, yet I can't seem to recall what happened afterward. I felt lightheaded and dizzy, and before I made it to his home, everything blacked out. I think I heard several voices, but I lost myself and fainted, so it seems.


	5. Hide and Seek of Isolation

Hello! Sorry, I've been procrastinating on so much lately. Well, then, here's the new chapter and it's one of the more famous Urban Legend games, known as Hide and Seek Alone, Lonely Hide and Seek, Hide and Seek of Isolation, or One-Man Hide and Seek. I hope you enjoy this story!

Shout-outs to my reviewers, followers, and favorite-rs! Thank you guys so much, **mugheessaeed2002**, **chaosmoonstar**, **You Won't Even Know I'm Here**, **ScentlessFlower20**, **Sakura Kudo**, **PokemonXYFan104**, and **Bere**! You all inspire me to write more! ^_^

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I stayed a bit when we woke up, only to have my mother call me home for today. I had forgotten to call her last night, so I told her I'd come home after I ate breakfast. After I'd eaten, rather slowly, mind you, I left Noah's house. Honestly, I did not want to leave after what had happened last night, and I walked with no fast pace to make sure he'd be fine with me leaving. Hearing the door close quietly, naturally, I felt the need to turn around and just tell him stubbornly that I had wanted to stay. But I left.

After a while, I grabbed the page of the magazine I had ripped out when Noah had not been looking. I wanted to know what this game was... something about Hide and Seek. I read the page with the needed items and gathered them when I got home. The items I needed didn't take long to find: a doll with limbs(I used an old plush I didn't want anymore: an ugly doll that resembled a prince. It had creepy eyes.), a nail clipper for nail clippings(or my hair), salt water(and salt), a needle and red thread, a basin full of water, which I left in the sink, some rice to fill the doll with, and a safe place to hide that had our religion mark there, which would be crosses, in my case. Mother didn't ask a thing, which was a little strange. Who would just grab these items for no reason at all... Well, I guess she did give a look as if I were crazy, but oh well. I also needed a sharp object, though I would definitely never grab a knife in front of her. She'd think I'm murdering someone if I just took it upstairs, using it for something other than cooking. I decided scissors would be best. Anyways, I knew she was going to leave somewhere today, and she wouldn't be back until two days, so I had two chances to play this game.

As soon as she left, I grabbed the closest scissors, fabric scissors, and ran upstairs to my room. I had to think of a name for the doll. I thought of the first guy I hated, and decided it would be Duncan. I cut the doll open and replaced the stuffing with rice, along with nail clippings and small hair pieces of mine. I made sure to sew it back up with the red thread and wrapped the rest of the thread around the doll. I kept my phone on silent, dull lighting, as I turned off all the lights and left the T.V. on in my parent's room. When it was 3 A.M. sharp, I was already in the bathroom. I began the game.

"First tagger is Cody! First tagger is Cody! First tagger is Cody!" I shouted confidently as I closed my eyes. Making sure not to look back, I walked to another room and continued, "One... two... three..." I started out with courage, "four... five... six..." I say as my curiosity turns to fear. "Seven... e-eight... nine..." Was when I started to regret even thinking about playing this game. I took a deep breath. "...ten..." I turn and walk back to the doll, "I found you, Duncan!" I stabbed it with the fabric scissors, "Now Duncan is it! Now Duncan is it! Now Duncan is it!" Taking the cup the saltwater was in, I poured some in my mouth and took it along with me as I headed to my hiding spot: my parent's closet. The salt was stinging and it hurt to keep it in my mouth. I was shocked when I entered, forgetting that the T.V. was left on.

I sat in silence in the closet and soon hear the T.V. switching channels. The channels each said something different, which made my heart beat rapidly. I heard, "I...(buzz) will...(buzz buzz) find... (buzz buzz buzz) you..." and soon after, white noise. A mysterious devilish voice could also be heard as well as unknown loud noises and what appeared to be things moving around. Afraid, I kept my eyes shut on the verge of crying, listening to my surroundings. The devil spoke every now and then, saying things like, "I'll find you..." or "Are you in here?" and every now and then, "I know you're in here!" The noises subsided and came back constantly. The cycle seemed to be perpetual. In a shocking moment, there was a large bang downstairs, causing me to open my eyes. Everything fell into silence and tension. Someone had come into the house.

I stood up quickly and stepped out of the closet, looking for the doll. The person could get hurt by the plush, I realized in an instant, so I went on a search to end the game. I couldn't find the doll, so I went to the door and looked for whoever it was that came in. I found no one but the door wide-open and just stared for a second, until in an abrupt moment, a sharp pain went down my arm, causing me to wail and lose the saltwater in my mouth. Thrashing back and away from the aggressor, I looked up quickly to identify the figure.

...

"...Noah?!" Noah, or rather, the spirit screamed at the saltwater and attempted another attack. It fails as I dodge and run back upstairs for the remaining saltwater I had left in the closet. There was a glimpse of the plush as I reach the stairs, and I could have sworn that I had seen a creepy smile placed in a strange, crooked angle on it's face. I heard Noah slowly approaching, scaring me witless. I ran in the room and locked it, rushing to the closet for the water. I winced at the pain and realized my arm shaking violently. My body grew weak and tired as I held the water, and the door knob to exit and end the game. I realized that Noah was possessed by the spirit. _Why did he come over?_ An abrupt, thunderous knock interrupted my thought.

"I know you're in there! Open the door..." The voice seemed to want to provoke me. It was Noah's, but at the same time, it was different. He banged on the door nonstop, and as violently as a hammer on a nail. "Leave me alone!" I cried out.

"Open the door," it commanded devilishly. I opened the door and pushed by Noah, trying to find the doll once more, but he grabbed me by the wrist and twirled, pushing me on the floor with a mischievous, wide smile. I hit my head and back against my parent's footboard of the bed with tremendous force. I didn't think Noah's body could handle such a powerful throw. The salt water had fallen and splat on the floor. I stared in horror and started to cry hysterically. "Please, Noah, don't do this...! _Please!_" He laughed carelessly and got the scissors ready. "Noah...! _Noah!_" I got up and jumped to the right as he slashed down my left leg. I yowled as tears fell down my cheek, but I summoned up my courage and dragged myself down the stairs. I stumbled down, hitting the end eventually as I heard the devil laugh.

Searching for the plush became useless when I heard Noah ask me if I was looking for it. I knew then that he had the doll, so I gathered a different idea, almost spontaneous. I dealt with the pain and tried running to the kitchen. It was creepy when Noah slowly walked down the stairs with bloody scissors. I kept sobbing from the pain, but I made my way to the kitchen and found the salt. By the time he made it down, I had the salt in my hands. I opened the top and threw the salt at him and the plush, but he had enough time to grab something nearby and bash at my head, knocking me out instantly. The last thing I heard was the devil's ear-piercing scream.


	6. The Hospital

Well, then! Sorry for the wait! This took a while. Thank you for keeping updated and reading, as well as reviewing! Reviews keep me motivated and make me really happy! ^^ I also drew a picture for this, please look up Purified-Justice on deviantart or click the link in my profile to see it. I shall list the names of reviewers, followers, and favorit-ers!~ Thank you, **mugheessaeed2002**, **chaosmoonstar**, **Ponythekidrs**, **Sakura Kudo**, **PokemonXYFan104**, **DeathByACookie**, **The Unseen Author**, and **Tami the Scene Queen**!~ And, of course, **Bere**, for giving me ideas, etcetera, and we go to the same school. You're all awesome!

* * *

Seeing what was in front of me, a rush of panic and consternation engulfed my mind. I saw Cody drenched in blood around his left leg and right arm. His head was just as bad. _There was no way I could have done this to him... No way..._ My body was shaking as I picked up the phone. I dropped it twice before I could actually call the ambulance.

I curled in the corner trembling. My eyes couldn't look away from the dreadful scene. I had blood on me and scissors nearby, so it must've meant I've finally gone insane... and of all the people I had to injure, Cody. Why can't I remember what happened? I came here and knocked on the door, but I couldn't recall anything after. Then I see a paper in Cody's pocket and carefully take it out. "Hide and Seek of Isolation... Warning, play ALONE." Good god I had barged in while he was playing. I read the rest of the warnings, "Playing while another person is near could result in that person being possessed. DO NOT play this game for more than two hours.(the spirit will strengthen, making it difficult to remove), mess with or provoke the spirits, turn around when going to your hiding spot(you may see something disturbing), do not play WITH someone(remember, this is Hide and Seek ALONE), don't turn on the lights(with the exception of the T.V.), do NOT fall asleep no matter WHAT, and do NOT play if you have a weak heart! DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME!"

That was the sum of everything. Did I believe it? After what had happened, maybe I believed it a little. I knew somewhere deep inside my head that my body caused Cody to look like this. It couldn't have been anyone else, I mean, I had been holding the scissors. The last warning was stupid... Why give us rules if you're going to tell us not to play? "Curiosity killed the cat?" Well, satisfaction brought it back.

"I'm so sorry, Cody," I whispered. I heard the sirens sound from a distance and I was afraid again. What if they suspected something about me...? I tore my sweater apart and started wrapping up the wounds, starting with his head, as carefully as I could. The sirens were louder as it got closer to his house. I backed away from him, thinking of running away, but I stood still until the ambulance rushed in. All I could do was listen, and the situation was an expeditious mission to get Cody to the hospital; all of their words sounded like gibberish. "Cody..."

"You, sir." I gasped and fell backwards, looking up at the man. It was one of the police men. "Calm down, fella, what happened here?"

"It was a spirit... sp-spirit...!"

"Spirit? Children make up such weird things."

"I'm not a child! I didn't believe in such things..." I gulped, "...until this happened."

"What exactly happened?"

"I played The Three Kings, I ran here, I... I.. I blacked out after knocking on the door... Guh... Something opened... Ugh... My... head...hurts..."

"Continue."

"He... It... I blacked out and... something happened... I gained conciousness and saw Cody and called for an ambulance and- Oh! The magazine article for Hide and Seek Alone! He played this... Huh? Where is it...?"

"Calm down, sir. We found these scissors..." I stared horrified, whispering, "I didn't..."

"We aren't saying you did. We'll be doing tests tomorrow, but until now, we'll be needing clues and evidence. You should go home, kid, we'll take care of things here."

"No! Let me go with Cody!"

"It's better if you stay home. Now, go."

"But..." I lowered my voice and turned around, "stupid game... Why did I buy that stupid..." I looked up to see the doll and game instructions. "What...?" I picked the doll up and read the warnings again. "I need to burn this stupid thing..." I went home with the doll. "These police won't find anything useful to them." I smirked and grabbed a lighter out, burning the doll to ashes. "Cody... I'll spread a lot of salt in your house tomorrow... Everywhere... then I'll go see you at the hospital..."

The next day, I snuck into Cody's home and spread salt everywhere, carelessly. These police weren't very good at guarding. I went on my way when all the salt I had taken was gone. Quite a distance from his house, the hospital Cody had been placed in stood in front of me. I stepped in and asked for his room. The news was not very pleasant; Cody was now in a coma. They let me in and gave warnings, in which I would ignore, since I already knew what they'd say. I stared at his limp, weak body, wondering how he could've survived. I wanted to know what I'd done that night.

"Cody, I'm so... so sorry..." Everytime I thought of last night, I could only remember the demons who spoke to me... and then seeing what they said come true the next instant.

_"'Oh, it seems he will get hurt if he does that...'"_

_"'Wh-Who will get hurt...?'"_

Closing my eyes, Left spoke devilishly, "He's in a coma now. He might not wake up. You know, you did this to him." Right laughed sinisterly and whispered, "You gonna wake him up? Maybe like Snow White? You slashed down his arm and leg and then bashed his head really hard!" I opened my eyes quickly and looked around. "Wh-What?!" A doctor came in and hushed me, then asked me to leave so they could do a check-up on him. I waited outside for the remaining time, and they let me in again after a while. The doctor didn't leave, instead, he asked rediculous questions.

"This guy your friend?"

"I.. guess you can say that," I say as I read a book I brought with me.

"Guess? Well, what's your relationship with this guy?"

"An aquaintanc... A guy I just hang out with..."

"Isn't that a friend?" I rolled my eyes and went back to reading. He probably sensed that I didn't want him around, so he got up. "Well, I'll leave now, but you best go home soon, it's getting late. This Cody kid will be fine." I gave a sigh of anger and relief and looked at Cody when the doctor left. "Fine...? You'd better be fine, Cody." I looked down, "I'm sorry... You should've told me to stay away from your house..."

When it was nine sharp, I left the hospital. I hoped that he'd wake up before Winter Break was over, and left for home. There was nothing to do now that Cody was in a coma. I didn't even want to read my book. I attempted to read the rest of the book I had taken with me, but I found myself perputually reading the same line. Annoying myself was all I could do. Why did I care about this geek anyway? But I remember two(or three or four days, you could say) days ago, after playing Midnight Man: What he told me, how he felt about me.

_"'What..? How... I feel.. Uhmm... You're... Fun to be around... and I... think you're cool...! And... kind of hopeless, but that's what I like about you! And when you read your books, or roll your eyes, or spat your dry sarcasm...?'"_

_"'...'"_

_"'It's what I... What I love the most about you...'"_

"Shoot..." I hit myself lightly on the head when I realized I was blushing. "I'm not myself..." I lie down on the couch and soon fall asleep. Time seemed to crush my mind with the slow ticking. The night seemed horribly long. My body itched to be with Cody once more. Idiotically, I grit my teeth, angered at myself for buying the magazine, and Cody, for even spotting the dangerous thing. Ironically, it seemed to be the last(or was it the only?) one on sale.

There was a loud tremendous bang at the door, though that could've just been the silence messing with my head. The knock was normal, but the silence made it seem louder. I opened it, forcing my eyes to look outside, bright as if nothing ugly and horrible had happened. It made me cringe with annoyance. The same police man from before had come and I felt my blood rush with shame, my heart sinking down low.

"Hello, sir. I assume you've visited your friend?"

"Y-Yes, sir, I did."

"We thought we'd tell you that there was no evidence of another person being there."

"S-Sir I didn't..."

"It's alright, just answer this, 'When did you come last night?'"

"I... I came after playing The Three Kings... It's this stupid Urban Legend-"

"Where is that paper you tried to show me?"

"In my room. I'll get the entire magazine...!" I went up to my room and grabbed it out, then handed it over to the police man. He grabbed it, confused, and saw the one I had told him Cody had been playing. He skimmed through, and then asked, "And you believe a doll is what hurt him? Or you were possessed?"

"I-I guess so... I mean, I can't remember a thing that happened!"

"There were no finger prints anywhere. And where is this 'doll'?"

"I burned it, like the paper said. If not, it could've come back..."

"Your friend is in a coma, why would you hide or destroy further evidence?" I panicked and backed up, "I _didn't...! I'm_ helping him! The spirit could have come back and tried to kill him!"

"Or are you just trying to make up childish excuses to hide the fact that you were trying to kill him?"

"But I _didn't...!_ I _wouldn't...!_" I called out desperately. Another police man grabbed my arms forcefully as the man I was talking to spoke, "It would be easier if you spoke truth." Angered, I spat, "And I spoke the truth!" Left and Right flashed upon my memories again.

_"'Why, your love for Cody is real, is it not!?'"_

"I love Cody!" I wailed out without thinking, seemingly responding to what had already been asked long ago.

He shook his head, and I knew if I struggled any more than I was now, the blame would always point to me and the guilty one here would be me, so I stopped moving and kept shut.

Before the police took me away, the doctor who was taking care of Cody came in and stopped them. "Stop this now. This kid has done nothing." Everyone froze and turned to the doctor. "They are just curious teens, as we once were." He paused for a short time and continued, "Yes, I used to be interested in these Urban Legends. I've lost a good friend because of it. Ever since, I've never touched the subject again, but if I can help someone, then I won't be afraid to take action."

The police stopped and looked at eachother. "But then what would we do?"

"If you charge him, I'll pay, and we'll leave it behind."

"Yes, sir." And they let me go. I followed the doctor to the hospital so I could question him. I didn't even say anything, however, and he started answering. "You're probably wondering, hmm? Well, as I said before, I had once lost a good friend by playing such games. And... Cody's mother... I know her. Not friends, but I know her. There's nothing more to why, if you're still confused."

I looked down, not further questioning anything, and let him lead the way. As we opened the doors, a wind of worry surrounded me. _Lost a good_ _friend_...? I gasped and rushed past the doctor over to Cody. "Cody... Cody, wake up..." I whispered inaudibly.

"It's okay, sir, he'll be okay. What is your name, young man?"

"Noah..." He chuckled, "Your 'love' will be alright, I assure you. I've checked and treated everything, he'll be awake soon, don't worry too much."

"Okay-" I paused, feeling my face burn red. "_L-Love?!_"

"You love him don't you?"

"I-I meant-"

"It's okay to feel that way, boy. If you're going to deny it, just do me a favor and don't hide it forever, no matter how he feels towards you." I shut myself up and looked back towards Cody, sighing deeply. I was so annoyed at myself, at everything. I wanted to read again, but I couldn't find myself to, and it made me even more angry. The doctor knew. He knew I was feeling vexed, irate... afraid... He pat my back and urged me to go home and come back in a week to check up on him, but I refused. I felt a lot better around Cody.

Eventually, I fell into my dream world, letting it do whatever it wanted. I traveled my vivid dreams, different each time. I woke up the next day on the couch at his house, and his mother was sobbing softly on a chair nearby. Noticing that I was up, she stopped and wiped her tears away. We sat peacefully, without words, yet soon to be broken by her pretty, softly cracked voice.

"Dear son, what happened in only one day?" My eyes fell to the floor and I explained everything. It had only been a day that his mother left. She must have gotten a call, because she was supposed to be "home" tomorrow. I felt like I had apologized a million times. Cody took a lot of features from his mother... Her presence made me extremely calm. She sat without speaking for a few minutes and then sighed. "Please let my Cody be okay... You can eat anything, hon. Don't be afraid. My son always talked about you, and even slept there for a while." I gave a little nod and slumped on the couch. The rest of break... doing nothing.


	7. Gratitude

Thanks for staying with me!~ Sorry for the wait, stress continues to be a battle! Alright, edits and revisions will be made later. Yaaay! Here, have some goodies as you read. NoCo~

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I pondered on the couch, staring at his mom cook. A pure white and pale yellow and blue dress lies lightly on her skin. A lovely woman, yes, and I'm glad she cared for Cody so much. My existence made me wonder about my own parents. She set a plate in front of me quietly and gently. I stared up at her, faintly sending her a grateful nod. His house seemed placid with a deep clarity. My heart felt clenched with guilt as I saw how peaceful it seemed to be. Near tears, I rushed to the restroom quietly. I took a moment to calm myself before walking out to eat.

When I sat down, she came and pat my head softly, making me drop on my knees, crying and confessing to the woman. She looked at me with surprise, but that expression slipped by quickly. She grabbed me and sat on the couch, patting me, telling me it was okay. It hurt so badly to be near her knowing that I was the person who hurt her son. All she she did was comfort me. It provoked me a little; I wanted a little scold, a wake-up call to bring me back to normal, but I only got comfort and tears.

After a while, I ate and left with her to see Cody. Nothing happened. Nothing. There was the silence and the noises of the machines and... nothing major. I have no idea how many times I've slept on the same chairs this day. How boring everything was, the white walls, nothing to do. I sighed heavily as I leaned down to rest my head, waiting for any sign that maybe he'd wake up earlier. Usually I'd be reading, and Cody would play his games, and sooner or later I'd join him, or we'd be out eating somewhere or taking a walk with my dog. I miss him, the fool. I really miss him, don't I?

"Why do you wait for him?"

"...What do you mean 'Why'?"

"Well, don't you have other things to do?"

"Not... really..."

"Dear, you shouldn't wait for him to awaken."

"Why not...?"

"It's not good to just wait."

"And... what about you, Mrs. Anderson?"

"You're still growing up, boy."

"..."

"Why do you wait for him...?"

"..."

"Well...?"

"... I..." Mrs. Anderson stares at me, awaiting an answer. Fear and confusion wells up inside me as the tension and hesitation grows. "I-I... I..." She then tilts her head, responding, "You...?" I back up against the wall, realizing who I was talking to. "I-I... I... I... Oh... God..." She notices the hesitation, and from what I can infer, was probably guessing what it was I was going to say, making me more afraid. I tried my best to calm down, but it wasn't working. The realization hit her, and she sighed, giggling like a little girl, all the while walking towards me, almost whispering, "You... Love my son...? Is that it?" I lost myself in thoughts as embarrassment strangled me, making it hard to breathe.

"It's okay, dear. It's okay." I curled against the wall, embarrased and ashamed. She spoke again, "Sweet dear, it's fine. I'm... fine with it." She helped me up and started to pet me again as we sat down. I refused to look up, covering my face in shame. The doctor came in shortly to check on Cody. He let us stay where we were. Mrs. Anderson thanked him for taking care of Cody and for helping me out. He was a bit confused about what I was doing, but he did his job and left.

It's been five hours and he lay still as ever. His mother left two hours before, and I told her I'd go to their house later. For three hours I mumbled different things to him... to myself... His hand was in mine, warm, but still. I caressed his hand gently, smiling at him. Why did things change so quickly? It came from nowhere, hitting us straight in the face.

"Cody, please wake up. We miss you... I... miss you..." Cody mumbled a bit while struggling, followed by some quick deep breaths, but he soon maintained still and quiet again. An urge came from deep within, and I couldn't seem to resist myself. As I cried softly, I leaned in for a kiss without hesitation, desperate to get him closer. I moved away from him and stepped back, astonished from what I did. I gave one last glance and ran out of the room, zooming past the confounded doctor.

Run without stopping. That's all I could do, because I wanted to get out the feelings of frustration and desperation, the confusion and pain. It all made me dizzy and awkward. I felt things I've never really felt before, and the changes were too much, or too quick for me to comprehend what was going on. Out of nowhere, I paused abruptly in my steps and yelled out at the top of my lungs, "Someone... Someone enlighten me...!" I knew no one was around. No one experienced me shouting at nothing. No one saw me stop after running due to exasperation. No one heard me. No one. No one except Cody's mom. She understood me, she comforted me, and she didn't want to scold me. She said it was alright to feel the way I do, because we're all humans, and humans have different tastes. And she didn't mind me falling for her son. Her sweet, adorable, idiotic son. Yet, most of all, she said people change and do weird things when they fall in love. Especially for the first time. I felt like a little girl, it seemed rediculous... though, it helped.

All I could say was that I hated those weird feelings. I just wanted Cody to wake up and cheerfully do what he had always done. Everything felt wrong without him. I thanked her once more, over and over... and over... Until she brought me back to the house.

I slept in Cody's room. There was a soft scent on his bed, calming me down everytime I laid on it. It made it feel like he was with me. I hugged his pillows with a smile. How much more girly could I get? His mother chuckled at me and went off. I ignored her and rolled around, bored. I stood up, and told Mrs. Anderson that I'd be getting my books. When I got back, I remembered the police. There was news of Cody's injury and warnings of the games. I let them take that cursed piece of crap. There was no way I was risking any more days with those Urban Legends. Finally, I was able to read again as I lay upon his bed, and, eventually, sleep overtook me.


	8. Recurrence

I am sorry for the wait! I shall list the names of reviewers, followers, and favorit-ers!~ Thank you, **chaosmoonstar**, **Sakura Kudo**, **PokemonXYFan104**, **DeathByACookie**, **The Unseen Author**, and **Tami the Scene Queen**!~ A _special_ thanks to **mugheessaeed2002**, **Ponykidrs**, and **Bere**, for giving me ideas and awesome reviews. Always a thanks to Bere because we go to the same school and most ideas come off of you. Ponythekidrs, you're cool because you respond to my PMs all the time, and you're reviews are funny. mugheessaeed2002 has made the special thanks because of the interesting reviews and PMs that fit with the review, thanks so much, guys! I love all reviews, of course! Thank you all!

* * *

Upon waking up, I set a reminder in my head. I forgot that I was at Cody's house again. It was the fifth day of Winter Break. It's only been two days! Only _two_ days! Why... does everything seem to drag...? I know why she didn't want me to wait. Everything seemed longer, days drag out, yet, when you try to do something else, you can't seem to do it, then everyday turns out to be the same thing, and you can't seem to get out of the cycle even though you're aware that it's useless or you want to get out. I knew I should try to do other things, but I just wanted to wait for Cody. There was nothing ever exciting in my life, nothing to do but read and hope no one came home. I loathed my siblings, and my parents never really cared much about me. They just care about them. I kind of enjoyed Cody's company. I love reading, but maybe something different everyday wasn't too bad. I guess I could say I was a little happier with him around. I should've stopped myself from letting him play the first game.

Cody isn't the only one to blame for this situation. I let him do it. I was the guy who bought the magazine, and then I let him play the game. When he "secretly" ripped out the page that had "Hide-and-Seek of Isolation," I decided to leave him be. I'm the idiot. I should have stopped him, but I didn't. Then I ever-so-idiotically decided it'd be a great idea to play "The Three Kings." We are both equally on the blame list. But... whoever made it... is the true person everyone should point at. I got off of Cody's bed, a little dizzy. I walked downstairs to see his mother sitting on the couch, watching T.V. I began to wonder where Cody's father was. I asked and she told me he was away somewhere, like my parents and siblings. He'd be back after this week, a little earlier because his son was in the mother trucking hospital because of me. I sighed and continued with the morning. His mother was still watching the news. I raised a brow, questioning her in my head, not understanding why. She sat there nervous but focused, and I understood why after the news mentioned Cody's "incident" "coming up next".

"Coming up next, a boy of sixteen, Cody Anderson, was injured heavily and put into a coma for 'playing some games' right after this. See you then!" I panicked after hearing the news. If they want interviews from me or anything of the sort, I'm not doing it...! I looked over at his mother who waited impatiently for the news to come on, yet was anxious to hear their point of view on the story.

"I... I'm going to see..." Thinking on it more, I changed my mind quickly, "upstairs... I'm going to Cody's room." She nodded as I turned to go upstairs and lock myself up. _I should go home._ I sat still, and decided to watch the news up here. I didn't want to go home because no one was there, and I was afraid that those things would still be there, even if they should be gone by now. _They're never gone... No matter how you'd think they'd be. _I turned the T.V. on in time to watch the beginning.

"Welcome back to xxxxx xxxx! Just two days ago, a boy was badly injured while playing a game, that's right, a game. His right arm and left leg has long, dreadful slashes, and his head seemingly bashed, knocking him in a coma. He's expected to wake up soon, but how soon?" _That's what I want to know..._

"Whatever hit him must have had a strong force, huh?"

"That's right. I mean, he's in a coma! The boy was also found with a friend of his, named Noah. His friend refuses to be on news, but he is known as innocent as far as we know. So, we all know it was a game, but what kind of game could cause this?"

"What _kind_ of game, Jane?"

"Well, Loris, it was an Urban Legend game. A little game passed down as a myth to scare children, but could it just be a myth? Urban Legends have become a popular thing amongst teens lately. I know even my child has seen these, but I told her to never try something like this, and I guess this incident could show a lot of kids to not try these games."

"Right."

"Cody Anderson was just a sixteen-year-old boy who got curious of the game 'Hide-and-Seek of Isolation. That sounds crazy! Who would try something like this? It's supposed to summon a demon to play Hide and Seek with you. The police got a hold of the magazine that the two boys used as instructions to play the game. Here it is. The boy's friend told the police that they bought it at a book store they walk by everyday. What's strange is that it was the only copy left on sale. The man at the counter says some man bought a lot of them pretty quickly. Parents, you might want to watch out for this magazine." I shivered slightly.

"Jane, it was also told by the police that there was no other evidence but the boy that could have harmed Cody. Is this true?"

"Yes it is, Loris. No other evidence was found, but the doctor that is watching Cody has told them that he has lost a friend while playing the game during his teen years and is trying his best to defend Cody's friend, Noah. Supposedly, the doctor once knew Cody's mother. Coincidence! These boys are lucky, I say!"

"Well, Jane, besides all that, do you think that a demon harmed the boy?"

"Actually, yes, I do. I wasn't there, but I do believe that he summoned something that night that had a high potential of killing him. What about you?"

"We're running out of time, but I have a hard time believing it, Jane. It was just a myth, after all. How do we know if the boy is truly innocent or not? Murderers have ways of finding a route out. Well, we're out of time, up next is..." I turned the T.V. off, frightened. This is going to create a controversy... What will his mother think...? I began to tear up, a knock following after.

"Noah, open the door." I closed my eyes tightly, balled up. "Noah, this is important." I gave up and let her in. She sat gently on the bed. "Noah, will you... tell me the truth?"

"Miss, that is the truth... The one before. He played, and I didn't know, and I ran to this house for safety, not knowing he was playing it, and I blacked out. I assume the thing possessed me, and next thing I knew, there was blood everywhere, and..." I lost myself in tears, "...And I was so scared!" My voice quivered and cracked, "I didn't think it was real, miss... I didn't... want to hurt him! If I had known, I'd never have left the Dark Room! And I'd let them take me and let them do whatever it was they were going to do-" She stopped me.

"Hon, what do you mean?"

"I was playing The Three Kings. And mirrors... Left and Right... One of them mad at me..."

"Make sense, Noah."

"H-huh?"

"Noah...?"

"A-Ahh..." _T-They're back... They're back... They're back, they're back, they're back...! Noo... _Left hisses in my ear quietly, "Can't you see the demon?" And Right quickly follows, "Heh, heh... You're worthless. If you don't take this hint, the demon will win. If he wins, we'll take you along."

"The game is over...!" My voice cracked again.

"O-hoh... It's not over..." A slight chuckle could be heard as their voices fade away. I close my ears and cry out in desperation, "It's over! It's over! It's over! It's over!" Cody's mother pulls me in and tries to comfort me, but I continue insanely, "It's over! It's over...!" I throw my head forward, curling against her, "I _thought_ it was over...! I'm going insane! I'm going insan-" Mrs. Anderson slaps me across the face. I stay frozen and then softly cry out, "Left and Right are still here... I-I didn't mean to... I... I did know! I knew that he ripped the page out, and I should've stopped him! I should've, but I didn't believe the warnings!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but... I believe that you're innocent. You're a smart kid, get your mind together again. Don't let this tear you apart. Who is Left and Right?" I took a deep breath and calmed myself. "Yes, ma'am. They are from the game I played the same night Cody played Hide and Seek. They both have my voice, but Left is a little distorted. They recently told me that the demon is still around... He's still finding Cody! Mrs. Anderson, please! We have to find the demon! He's lurking...!"


	9. I Found You

I shall list the names of reviewers, followers, and favorit-ers!~ Thank you, **Ponythekidrs**, **mugheessaeed2002**, **chaosmoonstar**, **Sakura Kudo**, **PokemonXYFan104**, **DeathByACookie**, **The Unseen Author**, and **Tami the Scene Queen**!~ Always a thanks to **Bere** because we go to the same school and most ideas come off of you. You're all awesome!

* * *

It was the fifth day of winter break, the first week was almost over. It was the third day of Cody's comatose state. Mrs. Anderson came in and woke me up.

"Noah, boy, wake up!"

"Mmmrrhh..."

"Wake up, hurry now! We must go!" I rushed up and got ready. As soon as I got done, she dragged me out to the car. We drove off to the hospital in a hurry. _Something's wrong._ She gave me so something to eat and a book and continued on. She didn't explain what happened... but it was clear something was wrong.

There were police stationed in different places, a rush of police going who-knows-where, orders and commands could be heard. I caught up to his mother to hear her desperately asking them to let her in to see her son. Many other adults ran by asking to see a loved one as well. We were led to his room to be greeted by a blood bath. The doctor lay still on the floor covered in blood, and Cody... His mother broke down in tears. I stood frozen with shock.

...

I woke up in a hospital... How'd I get here? I looked around and saw my doctor. He was delighted that I was awake.

"Cody! I am your doctor. How are you feeling?"

"Uhmm... A little dizzy?"

"Anything more?"

"Huummm... I dunno... Mister, what happened?"

"That's what you have to tell me. I can tell you you were heavily damaged on your righr arm, left leg, and your head, but you're going to have to tell me the rest. Think, boy, and try to remember as much as you can. But don't think too hard. You're too weak for that right now." I try to remember.

"Uhmm... A magazine page... Hide... Oh, Hide-and-Seek! Alone... with a demon. And I hid, afraid... And then someone opened the front door! So I went out to check, because the demon going around my house could've hurt or possessed that person. It was... Uhmm... Who was it?"

"Was it Noah?"

"Noah...? Who...? Oh! Noah! Yes, it was Noah! The demon possessed him, and he... he had the scissors... and when I was staring at the door, he slashed down my arm. It was painful...! So I ran the best I cou...ld..." I yawned. "You're doing good, stay awake the best you can, we all want your side of the story."

"Yes, sir... I ran upstairs to get the remaining salt water to rid of the demon, but I failed and as I dodge, the slash goes down my leg... and.. What else... happ...n'd...?" My eyes slowly close. He encourages me to keep going. "Aye... I ran downstairs, and he scared me a lot... and I grabbe... salt... 'n I threw random amounts of salt at 'im... an'... my head..." I drifted off slowly. The doctor called my name a couple of times, but I fell asleep.

...

Disappointed, I wrote down what I got out of Cody. I have to call his mother tomorrow that he's waking up! This is delightful! As I write the things down in my office, I hear noises in Cody's room. I go in to check. "Nurse...? Is that you?"

...

What happened? Was I too late? The demon didn't take any rest...! "A...Ahhhhh... AHHH! Cody! Coooody!" I slip on over to his dead body, desperately wanting him to move or speak, but he lay limp like the doctor on the floor. I stare over at the doctor. Breathlessly, I whisper, "Bastard... You bastard... You were supposed to keep him alive... But thank you... For protecting him..." Tears overflowed my eyes and fell to the floor. That's when I notice a paper near him. It is covered in blood, but I was able to get the gist of it. "Cody woke up last night..."

...

Groggily, I open my eyes once more. I feel light-headed and dizzy. I look over to the clock to see someone standing overhead with a crooked smile.

"...I fooouuuunnnd yooouuuu."

* * *

I thought I'd add one last note to those who thought the doctor was suspicious. Why? I didn't intend to make him so suspicious. X3 He was a guy who knew Cody's mother in the past and had a "crush" on her, and he had a good friend die playing games like NoCo was playing, so he was really set on helping them. Thought I'd clear up the message I tried to send but clearly failed. Adieu!


End file.
